Ishii test for screening sarcopenia: performance in community-dwelling older adults

Sarcopenia is associated with an increased likelihood of major adverse health outcomes. Therefore, screening and early and timely identification of sarcopenia are essential. EWGSOP2 (European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People2) suggests Ishii screening test for formal-case findings. We aimed to define the diagnostic value of the Ishii screening test, which estimates the probability of sarcopenia using an equation-derived score based on three variables (age, grip strength, and calf circumference) in Turkish older adults.

Older adults aged >  = 60 who applied to a geriatric outpatient clinic were included in the study. The recommendation of the EWGSOP2 for the definition of sarcopenia was followed. The probability of sarcopenia was estimated by using a score chart of Ishii. Performance of Ishii screening test was analyzed by using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the area under the curve (AUC).

We included 1635 patients with the mean age of 74.7 ± 7.0. The prevalence of probable sarcopenia was 11.9%. The prevalence of confirmed sarcopenia according to height² was 0.7%. The prevalence of severe sarcopenia was 0.3% in total. Against diagnoses of probable sarcopenia, confirmed sarcopenia, and severe sarcopenia, the sensitivity values of the Ishii screening test were 84%, 100%, and 100%; the specificity values were 86.1%, 83.9%, and 84.6%, respectively. PPV values were 44.9%, 4.2%, 2.1%; NPV were 97.6%, 100%, 100%, and the AUC values were 0.933, 0.961, and 0.959, respectively.

Our results suggest that the Ishii screening test is a successful screening and maybe a candidate diagnostic test for sarcopenia.